SACRAMENTO; Sept. 19, 2016 – Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added retired Sacramento County Judge Michael G. Virga to its roster of esteemed neutrals. Furthering its commitment to Northern California, the company also opened a new, state-of-the-art resolution center in the heart of downtown Sacramento.

“Adding Judge Virga, with his deep experience and distinguished record on the bench in Sacramento, and simultaneously unveiling our new Sacramento office really cements our presence in the Northern part of the state,” said Rosemarie Chiusano, Executive Vice President of Business Development with Judicate West. “Together with our move to a larger space and neutral additions in San Francisco this year, our goal of delivering the gold standard in dispute resolution to lawyers and clients across the state has taken a huge leap forward.”

Judge Virga has presided over civil and criminal jury trials, civil case management conferences, preliminary hearings and juvenile trials during his lengthy career on the bench. He was elected to the Sacramento Municipal Court in 1992 and the Sacramento Superior Court in 1994. While on the Superior Court bench, Judge Virga served as the Supervising Settlement Judge, leading the court’s Civil Mediation Program and Mandatory Civil Settlement Conference Program, whereby he conducted daily settlement conferences. He is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association and the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association, each of which named him “Judge of the Year” in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Judge Virga received both his J.D. (1981) and his B.A. (1978) from Santa Clara University.

Judicate West’s new Sacramento dispute resolution center is located at 980 9th Street, Suite 2200, within walking distance of the federal and state courthouses and the State Capitol Building. The facility includes 13 private conference and meeting rooms, many featuring views of the Capitol and a wealth of modern technological capabilities, including flat-screen televisions and seamless connections for video playback, presentations and video conferencing. The center also offers private work stations, strong wireless internet access and a warm, spacious client lounge with plentiful offerings for refreshment.